About two weeks ago I received a large envelope from Germany. I thought it was from my mother who is there on vacation (lucky her). However, what was inside surprised the hell out of me.

The first item was a letter of introduction written by Mr. Siegfried Boedeker, informing me I was now a life member of the Nippon Yawara Ryu Aiki-Ju-Jitsu Renmei.

Now, I have no idea who Mr. Boedecker is or what his organization is all about. Nor do I believe we have ever met. In fact, I doubt he would be able to pick me out in a room if we happened to cross paths. This was absolutely something I never requested, and I have no idea how they got my address.

Now if the membership to his organization wasn’t a big enough surprise, the promotional certificates that came along with it were even better.

I’m proud to announce to the world that I am now an 8th Dan Hanshi according to the World Ju-Jitsu Aiki-Bujutsu Federation.

If these “awards” weren’t enough accolades, I’m also an Honorary Grandmaster 8th Dan Hanshi in the European Assocation of Daito Ryu Aiki Bujutsu.

He scanned the certificates and has them on his blog. Quite amusing. Why do I never get letters like that? Thats just like with all those million dollar heritages in Nigeria. Everyone gets them, except me.

Searching for "Siegfried Boedeker" (or Bödeker, which would be the correct german spelling) brings up a whole host of doubtful posts and pages from people all over the globe (gazillions of blackbelts 6th grade and up), but funny enough no page directly about/by himself.

Edit: Search function brought up that we already had this specimen mentioned once on bullshido:

What really irks me about this is the connection to AJJIF. They recognize him as a legit 10th dan. In one list with Prof. Wally Jay and Gene Lebell. See here: http://www.ajjif.org/ajjif_black_belts

How legit is the AJJIF? What are their procedures to check the legitimacy of their recognized dan holders? Do they check on their recognized black-belts behaviour sometimes? Just to make that clear: I am asking out of genuine interest, as I do not know much about that organization.

Well tonight when I went to class the receptionist gave me my mail as usual. I was expecting the same old stuff, tournament flyers, vitimin adds, etc. I usually don't look at this stuff untill after classes, but one big envelope with a German post mark got me curious.
So I open it up and what do I find. The "Nippon Yawara Ryu AIKI-Ju Jitsu Renmei" has promoted me to "Menkyo-Kaiden-Hanshi" "10th Dan Judan Hanshi". Big certificate 11" X 17", with a lot of Japanese kanji on it, and a cool drawing of a samurai. I guess this German soke heard about the 6 hours of seminar training I have in Aiki-jujitsu.
But that's not all. This same soke also heads the "World.Sijo.DaiSoke.Renmei. inc - Black Belts Association International". And this organization gave me another really big and cool looking certificate, awarding me the rank of " Soke 10th Dan Hanshi" in the "Kajukenbo arts".

Now after you stop laughing at how rediculous and sleazy this cross ranking garbage is, you have to became very offended. And just plain pissed off. What gives this sleezebag the idea that he has the authority to award a 10th degree rank in Kajukenbo?
It's bad enough that these people make up systems that have no history, training requirements, or curriculum, just so they can trade rank certificates like baseball cards. But when they choose to award rank in legitimate systems without the legitimate authority to do so, it just makes them more sleazy. (I've been looking for words to describe this guy. The thesaurus gives me suggestions like, shady, seedy, disreputable, disgraceful, dishonorable, vile, and despicable. But "sleazy" just seems to fit the whole situation so well.)

Now this sleazebag's letter congratulating me on my promotion and lifetime membership in his organization also requests that I "grant him membership in my organization". Fat chance that will ever happen.

He does not name Siegfried Boedeker, but the organization is the same.

I do not know much about this group either. The gentlemen was looking to be come part of the San Yama Bushi Jujutsu organization. I thanked him for the membership and referred him to the system founder. I also gave the founder all the information. That was the first and last time I heard anything about the group. "

short translation, this guy Chris got one of those enveloppes aswell couldnt find a thing about him or the location nor does he know how many members this organisation has.
same modus operandi: awards high rank and in turn asks that he is awarded within their organisation.

okay, i just found a dutch link, interesting, i know who this guy is.
i used to train with a guy who i think was his brother.
the guy did a couple of demos on dutch tv, i saw it, it was so-so.
but he was a nice enough guy.
he states he has been promoted by siegfried boedeker.

I really do not understand the whats behind all this. I mean... the guy is practically a ghost. He spams out rankings and tries to get rank in every org/system on this planet in return. But never shows up on the intarwebs personally. No pictures, no homepage, nothing. Just a view mentions here and there by people he ranked or who claim to have been taught by him.

Maybe he is just a made-up proxy for the cross-ranking mill?

I could think of a scheme where someone plain and simple invents a made-up "soke" who does all the dirty business of rank accumulation (and attracts possible shitstorms to his non existand personality) and then hands out "solidified", quasi laundered, ranking, backed up by a gazillion of organisations he is a member of, to his evil mastermind, who thus manages to gain false credibility while staying out of the light. The proxy giving other people rank as well would also help to hide the masterminds identity, because no one would know which of the persons "Siegfried Boedeker" ranked is the real evil-shnievel behind all this.

Anyone have some tinfoil?

BTW: Thanks for the info Lebell. Just a wild guess, but I am starting to get the impression you might speak german? :laughing7